Gop Calls Sisisky Criticism `Unfounded'

Sweet Blaming Rival For Loss Of Area Jobs

October 29, 1994|By BARRY FLYNN Daily Press

Former Navy Secretary John F. Lehman and seven other one-time Reagan administration officials jumped into Virginia's 4th Congressional District race Friday on the side of the Democrat, incumbent Norman Sisisky.

In an open letter, the Republicans defended Sisisky against charges of being soft on military issues leveled against him by his opponent, George Sweet.

Without naming Sweet, the Republicans said such claims against Sisisky "are unfounded."

Sweet has been running a television ad and at least one radio spot blaming Sisisky for thousands of job losses at Newport News Shipbuilding, the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and other military installations in Hampton Roads.

Sisisky "couldn't be more delighted" with the letter which "goes to show that partisan politics have no role in national defense," said Alice Alonge, his spokeswoman.

But Sweet spokesman William Samson said Sisisky voted for President Clinton's defense budgets and therefore must take responsibility for the cuts in this area. "They've cut money out of the defense budget and that has directly affected the loss of jobs in our area," he said.

One of the letter's signers, Lehman's brother, Christopher Lehman, responded: "Ultimately, you have to either vote for or against the bill. You have to vote for the best you can get." Christopher Lehman is a former staff member to the Senate Armed Services Committee and special assistant to Reagan for national security affairs.

The former Reagan officials' letter said: "Congressman Sisisky was a strong supporter of President Reagan's defense buildup of the 1980s and he has been a tireless advocate for maintaining that strength in the uncertain post-Cold War world of the 1990s."